# BRD-065 — Sole proprietor must have no EIN

> The SOLE_PROPRIETOR tier is for a US individual without an EIN. Supplying an EIN disqualifies the registration.

- **Rule ID:** BRD-065
- **Layer:** Brand (`BRAND`)
- **Checks:** `brand.ein`
- **Severity:** BLOCKING — Breaking this rule gets the submission rejected outright.
- **When it bites:** Gates approval — get this wrong and registration is refused
- **How it is detected:** Deterministic (settled in code from the submitted values)
- **Fix type:** Fix the field — a better value in the form clears it
- **Required by:** TCR, Twilio, Telnyx
- **Applies:** Applies when the brand is a sole proprietor.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/brand/brd-065/

## Why this rule exists

The sole proprietor tier is defined as the path for an individual WITHOUT an EIN. Supplying one is a contradiction the platform reads as a misfiled standard brand, and it is corrected by changing tier rather than by editing the field.

## How to fix it

If the business has an EIN, register it as a standard brand (Private/Public/Non-profit) instead of Sole Proprietor. If it genuinely has no EIN, clear the EIN field.

## Example of a compliant value

```text
EIN: (leave empty)
```

## Provider rejection codes

| Provider | Code | Resubmission allowed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Twilio | `30903` | yes |
| Twilio | `30915` | yes |